A sensor with a magnet and magnetometer may be used to provide an indication of whether an entry point is open or closed. The status of the entry point reported by the sensor may be used when determining what mode a security system can be put in, or whether or an alarm should be generated. For example, a security system in an armed state that receives a signal from the sensor indicating that the entry point has been opened may generate alarm, as the opening of the entry point may indicate an attempted intrusion.
The magnet and magnetometer of the sensor may be separate physical components, and may need to be installed on an entry point in a specific configuration in order for the sensor to function properly. For example, a magnet may be installed on a door frame while the magnetometer is installed on the door, with minimum and maximum distances between the install points for each physical component. If the magnet and magnetometer are not aligned correctly, or placed so that they are too close together or too far apart when the entry point is in a closed position, the sensor may not correctly detect the position of the entry point. This may result in an open entry point being detected by the sensor as closed or a closed entry point being detected by the sensor as open. Improper installation of the magnet and magnetometer may render the sensor less useful to a security system.